By Rex Mphisa
A Beitbridge victim of carjacking has recounted the moments when he was violently robbed of his Toyota Double Cab car just five hours after taking possession of it from a Customs and Excise storage facility.
Mayor Masimba Meso said he was forced out if his car by gunmen who fired some warning shots to show they meant business in the Kwalu suburb of Beitbridge.
The three carjackers may have been waiting for the moment because the car was parked outside his yard from the time he took delivery of it from the storage.
“I had just collected the car from Manica Transit Shed on Saturday around 12 midday when I drove it home. I drove it home. When I got home I parked it outside the gate then left home with another car. I came back home around half past 7pm to park the car inside the gate,” he said.
“As I reversed before getting to the gate I just saw three men one on the passenger side and two others on my side. One of hose on my side had a gun trained at my head and he said I must not make any noise or he will shoot,” he said.
“Immediately he fired a bullet in the air as they pulled me out of the car,” said Meso.
He said he tried to resist but a tall one fired the gun again and another wearing a white hood got into the car and started reversing the car. He drove the car out of the gate and they drove off,” he said.
They suspected robbers spoke in Shona, he said.
Meso doe not know the direction taken by the assailants who took him by surprise.
National police spokesman Commissioner Nyathi said he was yet to get information from Matabeleland South.
“Please call me after an hour, I am checking with Matabeleland South. I did not have that information,” said Nyathi.
Beitbridge and Gwanda have of late been favourite hunting grounds for armed carjackers who target late model Toyota all terrain vehicles.
Last year, in yet unclear circumstances, one such car was recovered from Mozambique and the person convicted of stealing the car was jailed at Beitbridge.